The Finishing Touch
by blue-eyed-cow
Summary: The story of the Satanist who claims to be ready to face his former friend, the robot who knows her master is lying though his pointed teeth, and the prisoner who is lost, confused, and lonely. This is the story of 2D's arrival to Plastic Beach. Two-Shot


**A/N: Hey everyone! Here's my fifth Gorillaz fic: "The Finishing Touch". It's also my 20****th**** fanfiction. Ain't that exciting? So this is just a quick two-shot about 2D's first time on Plastic Beach. Chapter one, this chapter, is from Murdoc's view, (still in 3****rd**** person, though), and chapter two is going to be from 2D's view. I'll probably just keep this to two chapters, since I'm already working on a multi-chapter Gorillaz story. Once this is all over, if I get a lot of requests to add more I might. It's all up to you lovely readers.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gorillaz.**

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><p>~<span>The Finishing Touch, Chapter One<span>~

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><p>Murdoc Niccals had been pacing the shores of the pink, floating landfill called Plastic Beach for about an hour now. His Cuban Heels crushed the garbage beneath them as he paced back and forward, back and forward, over and over again. Occasionally he'd stop to check his watch, take note of the time, then go right back to his pacing again. And, as always, his mechanical bodyguard was by his side, standing still next to his line of pacing, watching him curiously. Ever since he had created her a few months back, she'd practically never left his side, her guns always loaded and ready to be used if necessary. Yes, Cyborg Noodle was the ideal bodyguard. Just as Plastic Beach was the ideal home.<p>

_And, for some, the ideal prison,_ Murdoc thought smugly, checking his watch again.

With the help of Cyborg Noodle and a few other non-important people, Murdoc had finally completed the construction of his dream studio on the point furthest away from any other landmass in the planet. It turned out absolutely perfect. Spot on. His Plastic Paradise was complete.

Well, almost complete. It wouldn't be entirely complete for another…

The Satanist checked his watch again.

…three minutes.

He continued his pacing.

"Sir, permission to ask question?" Cyborg Noodle's mechanical and slightly Japanese-accented voice spoke up for the first time since her master had started his pacing.

Murdoc only grunted in response.

The robot, who had been programmed to take half-hearted grunts as a confirmation, continued. "According to programmed schedule, 'Drop Off' is not for another two minutes and fourteen seconds. Why has master been out here for so long? Does master wish for me to wait in his place, and for him to go back inside?"

"No, Cyborg, you'll stay out here with me so we can take our 'luggage' back into the studio together," he told his servant, scowling at her. In a quieter voice, he mumbled, "I dunno if the Dullard's gunna put up a fight or not…"

Cyborg Noodle saluted him obediently and didn't say anything else. She ignored the fact that her first question hadn't been answered. Murdoc had an answer, of course. It was just something he didn't like to admit; even to himself.

He was nervous.

Many guest singers, producers, and other types of album collaborators had come to the island already, whether it was willingly or… not so willingly. But this one was different.

He paced for a few more minutes.

"Master, timed schedule entry for 'Drop Off' is occurring now." Cryborg Noodle told Murdoc, her internal alarm beeping at the scheduled event.

Murdoc finally stopped pacing. Now he was staring out into the horizon, searching the seas for anything that looked promising. "Leave it to a demon to be late…"

Then, out of nowhere, Murdoc caught sight of a large, ominous-looking ship, heading straight for Point Nemo. It was growing larger and larger every second. Normally, when Murdoc caught sight of a pirate ship heading for his island, he would immediately command his servant to do everything she could to blow if out of the water. Murdoc had bad experiences with pirates before, and he honestly didn't want any of their nasty ships anywhere near him. But this ship was visibly different. It was moving way too fast, and if you squinted enough, it would seem like it was hovering above the water instead of barreling through it. The entire form of the old-looking ship seemed to flicker and shift, as if it was made out of some kind of swirling smoke. Which, Murdoc reminded himself, it probably was.

The Boogieman had arrived.

Murdoc hurried to the shore, Cyborg Noodle right behind him. He tried to look casual, almost a little bored, but in reality he was so nervous his hands were shaking. He quickly shoved them in the pockets of his captain's outfit.

About half a minute later, the ship had arrived. Now that it was so close, about fifteen yards away from the shore, Murdoc could pick out the details: it was a swirling, strange illusion of a pirates ship with a damaged hull, old, moldy, wooden sides, and a flag hanging off of a thick mast, billowing in an unreal gust of wind. The picture on the flag was an inverted cross.

The ship came to a halt, and two anchors fell from either side of the ship down into the polluted water.

Then the captain stepped out of the ship, off the side, and into thin air.

The Boogieman, carrying a suitcase in each of his rotted, green hands, was gliding towards the beach in a cloud of black smoke. Most people would have been extremely intimidated by the sight of a tall, gasmask-wearing demon floating over to them. But Murdoc wasn't the least bit phased. He had dealt with him many times before. This would be the last time, though. After this, the deal was up. And the demon expected Murdoc to give him what he owed.

Murdoc chuckled.

Soon the Boogieman had got to the island, and his feet, hidden beneath his long, dark cloak, stepped onto the plastic island. His head swiveled slightly, as if the red eyes of his gasmask were taking in the sight. Then he turned to Murdoc.

"It's about time you got here," Murdoc said, giving him a mischievous half smile. "Well? What do you think? Pretty snazzy place, eh?"

The demon continued to stare at him with those terrible round eyes.

Murdoc cleared his throat awkwardly. "Right, well, I'm assuming you brought me what I need?"

In response, the Boogieman set both of the suitcases down by the bassist's feet. They were normal-sized brief cases, one of them plain brown and the other decorated in a wide variety of stickers. Then the creature looked back down into Murdoc's mismatched eyes, not moving another muscle.

He was waiting for Murdoc to carry out his own side of the deal.

Murdoc licked his cracked lips, trying to come up with some way to wriggle out of this one for just a little while longer. "I'm going to go ahead and guess that you're wanting the soul I promised you right about now, eh? Well, how about this? I'll, er, get in touch with you as soon as I can, and you can just come on over to Plastic Beach whenever you want and I'll pay up!" Murdoc threw him a very fake smile. "Here, I'll even right you an I.O.U!" Murdoc stooped down and pulled from the ground a piece of old, pink Styrofoam. Ah, the advantages of living on an island made out of trash. Then he took out a pen from his pocket and scribbled onto the Styrofoam, '_I.O.U. my soul'._ He capped the pen, took a second to admire his handy work, then offered the piece of trash to the demon.

The Boogieman took it in his hand…

And crushed it.

There was a very heavy silence that settled over the beach, broken only by waves crashing against the island and the whirring sounds of the robot from behind them. Murdoc hoped she had her gun locked and loaded on the Boogieman, because he didn't look too happy right about then.

It was then when one of suitcase at Murdoc's feet, the one covered in travel stickers, moved. As if whatever was inside of it was trying to get out.

The kidnapped must have finally woken up.

Murdoc forgot about the demon that probably wanted him dead right then and there. All he was focusing on was the suitcase, which jerked again.

The third time, it actually opened. To be more specific, it had just been kicked open by someone who had been gassed out of his flat in Beirut, shoved inside a suitcase nearly half his size, and brought over to the place farthest away from any other landmass by a demon on a pirate ship.

Out from the suitcase popped Stuart "2D" Pot.

He didn't look much different than the last time Murdoc had seen him, which was three years ago, besides the fact that he looked older. His messy hair was still azure blue, he still had black, gaping holes for eyes, and he was just as long and lanky as ever.

When he sat up, still in the suitcase, he spun his head around this way and that, eyes wide, clearly trying to figure out what the hell was happening here. Then he tried looking up, but he must not have been used to the sun, because he quickly shielded his dented eyes with one hand.

The whole time, the other three people on the island (people meaning one human, one demon, and one robot), didn't move, all watching the singer curiously, wondering what he would do next.

2D slowly lowered his hand from his eyes, though he was still squinting at the bright light he was so unused to. As Murdoc watched, 2D, who was still sitting in the suitcase, turned towards Murdoc, who was standing only a foot away from where he sat. And as 2D's lifeless-looking eyes met Murdoc's mismatched ones, those "lifeless-looking eyes" had never had more feeling in them before.

Confusion.

Hurt.

Betrayal.

But mostly confusion.

Murdoc wasn't ready for this yet.

Before the Satanist had time to think about what he was doing, he stooped over and grabbed the closest object on the trash-filled ground; an old, rusty piece of a pipe.

"Mur-?"

Murdoc interrupted the first word out of 2D's mouth when he whacked him over the head with the pipe.

2D slumped back over into the suitcase, clearly unconscious.

Murdoc still had the pipe in his hands, and was still staring at the lifeless-looking form of his former band mate. Why had he just done that? He hadn't even drunk that much rum yet today!

Then the bassist shook his head quickly, reminding himself that he still had company that he hadn't hit over the head with a pipe.

Dropping his weapon back onto the ground, he turned back to the Boogieman, who was staring at the Satanist, his head slightly tilted, as if he were wondering that his motives were for that random act.

"What? It'd be tedious to have to make that idiot walk down to the room. Who knows what he'd try? Much better to just drag him down, don't you think?"

The demon kept his head tilted.

Murdoc waved his hand through the air, scowling at the Boogieman. "Now can you leave us be? We've got some catching up to do, and I don't want you ruining any of out 'precious family moments'. You'll get your pay. Eventually."

Finally, the Boogieman took a step away from Murdoc, his arms rising slowly from his sides as he did so. A cloud of black smoke suddenly erupted from the mouth of his gasmask. As the smoke was blown out, a raspy voice blew out with it. It said, "I'll be back, Murdoc Faust Niccals. You can't hide from us forever." Then the demon disappeared in another puff of black smoke. In the background, the pirate ship sailed away.

"Talk about cheesy villain lines, eh?" Murdoc grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets again.

Cyborg Noodle turned to Murdoc, saluting him as she did so. "Sir! Permission to ask question?"

Murdoc grunted.

"Man in suitcase: I searched my memory databases, and I have confirmed that this is Stuart Pot, or 2D, vocalist and keyboardist of Gorillaz. Is this information correct, sir?"

Murdoc grunted again.

"If this information is correct, then your recent actions have contradicted other information which is believed to be correct: the information from my memory databases says that you and 2D are 'friends'. Please explain occurring conflict, master. Is this man now a threat? Should I make him a target, sir?"

Angry that a simple grunt would suffice this time, Murdoc spat, "We were not and will never be 'friends', Cyborg. He's our prisoner, now. And he's only a target when I tell you he is. Understand?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good. Now let's get these two suitcases down to the basement. You can carry the Dullard… er, 2D." Murdoc corrected, realizing the Cyborg wouldn't know any nicknames yet. "Is the whale where it's supposed to be?"

Cyborg Noodle had already walked over to where 2D was sprawled, stuffed him back inside the small suitcase, and closed it up. "Yes, sir. The whale is in position and will stay that way unless instructed otherwise."

Murdoc smiled evilly. "Brilliant."

And as the two carried the suitcases into the studio, one containing the kidnapped and the other containing some of the kidnapped's belongings, Murdoc thought, _'Enjoy the fresh air while you can, faceache. This is the last time you're going to be out of your room for a while'._

He chuckled. He didn't know why he had any doubts about 2D's arrival before. He was ready now.

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><p><strong>AN: That's all for now! Next chapter should be up soon. Like I said, I'm also working on another, much longer, Gorillaz story called 'Washed Up In Bleach'. If you like this story so far, you may like that one, as well. So feel free to check that or any of my other stories out! Thanks so much!**

**Reviews are great. I love 'em. They really keep me motivated, so if you like it so far please tell me what you think! **

**Thanks for reading!**

**Until next time,**

**~blue-eyed-cow**


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